George Clooney, who may be giving speeches again at next month's Academy Awards, says he has no regrets about making an off-color joke about disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff during last month's Golden Globes.

“I make no apologies for that – it was a joke,” Clooney told CNN's Larry King on Thursday.

The 44-year-old actor-director made a risque reference to Abramoff's name as he accepted a best supporting actor Golden Globe for “Syriana.” Abramoff's father, Frank, who didn't find the joke funny, wrote an angry letter to The Desert Sun newspaper of Palm Springs. He denounced Clooney for a “glib and ridiculous” attack on his son that he said reduced his granddaughter to tears.

“Believe me, the person who's disparaged the Abramoff name is not me,” Clooney told King. “Unfortunately, I think he also hurt the House of Representatives along the way.”

Craig is making his debut appearance as Bond in the film. Directed by Martin Campbell, “Casino Royale” is expected to be in theaters on Nov. 17.

JACKSON SONG STILL IN WORKS

Eight days after Hurricane Katrina hit, Michael Jackson announced he would release an all-star charity single within two weeks.

Nearly six months later, after questions about exactly who would be participating, the prince who has been hosting Jackson during his self-imposed exile in Bahrain says the song will come out by the end of this month.

The song is currently titled “I Have This Dream,” and is said to include Snoop Dogg, R. Kelly, Ciara, Keyisha Cole, James Ingram, Jackson's brother Jermaine, Shanice, the Rev. Shirley Caesar and the O'Jays.

At the height of his fame, in 1985, Jackson and producer Quincy Jones brought dozens of superstars together to fight famine with his “We Are the World” anthem. But while there are some platinum-selling stars on this record, it's a far cry from the luminaries and legends who made “We Are The World” a classic.

ANOTHER MASH SIGNS OFF

The U.S. Army said goodbye to its last MASH Thursday, handing over the green tents, emergency room and surgical tables to Pakistani doctors and nurses who had never seen the hit TV show that made the field hospital a household name in America.

For the past four months, the 212th MASH – or Mobile Army Surgical Hospital – has been stationed in a mountain valley in northern Pakistan treating survivors of the Oct. 8 earthquake that killed more than 80,000 people.

The military decided to donate the MASH – worth $4.6 million – to Pakistan because the Army is switching to a new approach, called “combat support hospital.” The new system is more flexible, with surgical squads that can go out into the field instead of waiting for patients to be flown in.